(8.1.69)
Sir,
I enclose a small personal contribution of $20 towards the fund for Mr. Chan Kok Seng, to fit him with artificial limbs. I appeal to all charitable and kind-hearted Malaysian, from all walks of life, to make their contribution to rehabilitate the life of an unfortunate youth.
The ordeal of Mr.Chan Kok Seng has two lessens for us:
Lessen One: There is increasing lawlessness in the country with open robbery, extortion and violence in the towns mounting over the months.
This reflects not only the inability of the police to maintain law and order, but the failure of the government’s social and economic policies to provide a good life for every Malaysian.
The increasing lawlessness and gangsterism are caused, not by inborn evil of men, but by social and economic factors like poverty, lack of education and unemployment.
Most of those who take to crime do so because they are poor and could not find jobs, and there was no way for them to become useful citizens.
In Ipoh a few days ago, 2,000 people turned up for 21 posts. What are the 1,979 rejected applicants to do for a living? Most of them will not be able to find jobs, and I believe a percentage of them will take to crime to make a living.
The responsibility for the growing social unrest, disorder and lawlessness must therefore rest squarely on the shoulders of the government.
It is not enough to arrest, convict and jail criminals. Even more important, after they have served their sentence, the ex-criminals must be given opportunities, as in jobs, to lead useful lives. Otherwise, if he is thrown back into poverty and unemployment, he would have no other choice but to revert back to the life of crime.
There are of course hardened criminals, but the majority of those who stray into crime are not hardened criminals, but victims of social forces beyond their control.
Lessen Two: The incompetence, inefficiency and deplorable standard & service of the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital which even threatens the health and life of patients.
There have been numerous complaints that the K.L. General Hospital hardly attends to patients, whether ill or critically ill. Mr.Chan’s personal experience is the latest case.
Undoubtedly, the K.L. General Hospital is the most inefficient hospital in the whole of Malaysia.
The people of Kuala Lumpur must put pressure on the government to re-organise and overhaul the hospital service. Probably the first thing the people should demand is to call for the dismissal of the Health Minister, Capt. Hamid Khan, who went on a one-month leave three days after taking on the Health portfolio.
The press must continue to expose the inefficiencies of the KL General Hospital, and perform a public service by putting pressure for its improvement.